


Many the Miles

by Morbidmuch



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Curse Breaker Hermione Granger, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff and Smut, but they're still idiots, not idiots to lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-05
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-18 19:49:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29863200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Morbidmuch/pseuds/Morbidmuch
Summary: After months apart, Hermione decides to surprise Severus with a visit. Unfortunately for her, so does he.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Severus Snape
Comments: 20
Kudos: 117
Collections: Hearts and Cauldrons Discord Members





	Many the Miles

**Author's Note:**

> Surprise 🙌🏻 This fic was inspired but an article I read on Facebook of all things, but we shan't hold that against it.
> 
> As always, all the love and thanks to turtle_wexler and Q_drew for their invaluable help.

Hermione wiped her sweaty brow with her sleeve. It was approximately a bazillion degrees inside the crypt, and her clothes clung to her sweaty frame. The trowel nearly slipped from her clammy palm, and she tightened her grip on the tool. Her back and knees burnt with the strain of her half-crouching, half-kneeling position, but she pushed it to the back of her mind.

“Careful,” came the tense voice of Bill Weasley on her right.

“I am,” she snapped. Just a little more to the right. There. The flat edge of the trowel slid under the edge of the object half-buried in the sand. She exhaled slowly.

She glanced up, met Bill’s triumphant blue eyes. They’d been working on this excavation for two bloody weeks, and they were so close Hermione could taste it. As one, she and Bill chiselled their tools underneath the stone, preparing to lift it. She barely dared breathe.

Then it exploded.

The blast threw them both back, and the air left Hermione's body when she landed some ways away. Eyes still closed, she did an inventory of all her limbs: a dull pain in her back and the back of her head from where she hit the ground, but nothing more.

Bill coughed and groaned. “Hermione, are you all right?”

“I’m fine,” she said, sitting slowly. “You?”

“Yeah, I’m good. What the bloody hell just happened?”

“I don’t know.” Hermione blinked her eyes open, then winced as pain shot through them. Getting sand in your eyes was never pleasant.

“Hold on,” Bill’s voice came nearer, his footsteps dulled on the sand. “Tilt your head back.”

She kept blinking and did as she was told. “That shouldn’t have happened.”

He rested a light hand on her shoulder. “No, it shouldn’t have.”

“Did it break?” Hermione said, then gasped when Bill poured water into her eyes. She kept blinking rapidly, letting the water wash away the sand until they were clear.

“It did.”

“Bugger.”

Wiping away the excess water, Bill’s worried face came into view. He too was covered in sand, and a few strands of red hair had escaped the ponytail he kept it in.

“Let’s stop here today. You should get checked out by the Healer.”

She raised her eyebrows. “So should you.”

“Yeah, yeah.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet.

Hermione grimaced. She had sand everywhere.

Gathering their tools, they made for the crypt's exit. The afternoon sun shone mercilessly on them – at least inside the crypt they'd been in the shade. Unfortunately for them, the relics they were excavating were extremely sensitive to any interfering magic, which meant they couldn't use cooling charms while they worked nor Portkey straight into the excavation site. Hermione arranged her shawl over her hair and neck as they walked across the sand, far enough to be able to Portkey back to Dahab.

“Are you joining us for dinner tomorrow?” Bill asked and took a swig out of his water bottle. “Victoire was asking for you this morning. I think she wants to hear more about how you broke into Gringotts.”

Hermione chuckled. “She's adorable.” She adjusted the strap to her leather satchel. “But I can't tomorrow. I've got a phone date with Severus.”

Bill raised an eyebrow. “All evening?”

“It's our anniversary.”

Hermione had been heartbroken when she realised she wouldn't be able to see Severus for their fourth anniversary – it was the first one they spent apart. In the nine months since she left for Egypt, she had only been able to see Severus twice, and she missed him something fierce. When Bill had first approached her the previous summer about joining him for an eighteen-month long excavation in the desert outside Dahab. Her training in arithmancy and charms would be an asset, though she had little experience with curse breaking. She and Severus had discussed it for almost two weeks before she sent Bill an owl accepting his offer.

“He's not visiting?”

Hermione shook her head. “We leave early and come home late; it wouldn't be fair to him. I'll see him at Christmas.”

She didn’t want to think about the fact that Christmas was four months away. The ripple in Hermione's magic said they were far enough to use the Portkey, so she fished the small toy panda from her bag.. Bill grabbed hold of one of the panda's legs and slid his wand from his sleeve.

“Ready?”

At Hermione’s nod, he tapped the panda with his wand, and they disappeared in a cloud of sand.

–

Once inside the studio flat that was her temporary home, Hermione removed her shoes and her satchel and ran two cleansing spells over her body. It got rid of the sand at least, but she still felt sweaty and icky. Walking into the main room of the flat, she rolled her shoulders a few times. Both she and Bill had been looked over by a Healer for any injuries once they returned to the base camp – which there were none – before they were allowed to go home for the day.

She checked the time – quarter past five – and cancelled the spell holding her hair in a crown braid with a wave of her wand, sighing as the pressure released from her scalp. Hair charms were a lifesaver in this climate to keep her curls contained and off her neck, but they didn’t make her scalp very happy. In the bathroom, she applied the scalp treatment Severus had sent – which felt cool and tingly on her irritated scalp – and took a wonderfully tepid shower. Feeling both cooler and cleaner than she'd done before, she made a quick dinner which she consumed on the small balcony. The sun was starting to set over the water, bathing everything in a golden light.

Inside the flat, Hermione’s mobile started ringing.

She located her phone on the bedside table, and flipping it open she held it to her ear. “Severus!”

“Hermione,” came his low timbre on the other end of the line.

It had been a battle to convince Severus to buy a mobile phone and a bigger one to get him to use it. But with her living so far away, there was no easy line of communication for them to use the magical way, so by mobile it was.

She heard what sounded suspiciously like the crinkle of a takeaway bag in the background, and smiled. He never was one for cooking.

“Did you just get home?”

“I did. How’s your day been?”

Gods, how she loved his voice.

“It’s been fine.” Hermione reclined against the pillows, stretching out her body. “We had a small accident earlier; one of the artefacts exploded. I’m fine, though,” she added quickly. “We both are. Just got blasted off my feet and covered in sand. I don’t enjoy having sand in my bum crack, funnily enough.”

Severus chuckled low. “It’s quite uncomfortable, I can imagine. Have you got any idea why it exploded?”

“No.” Hermione sighed. “We’ll probably have to spend most of tomorrow trying to figure it out. Hopefully it won't set our schedule back too far.” She fiddled with the fabric of her shirt, pulling it between her fingers and then letting it go. “How was your day?”

“Long.” He sighed, and Hermione could practically hear him pinch the bridge of his nose. “I’ve had to negotiate the contract with St Mungo’s _again._ ”

“Are they still fighting you on the price?”

He huffed. “They are, which is absurd. Not looking forward to continuing our conversation tomorrow. I taught Saunders; I don’t trust his maths.”

“Just give him your best glare and he’ll go along with whatever you say.”

Severus chuckled. “If only.”

She smiled. “I wish I could see you.”

There was a scrape of a kitchen chair. “I wish that too. This house is too quiet without you.”

“We’ll just have to make due until Christmas. I'll be home for almost two weeks.”

“I intend to spend at least the first three of those days in bed.”

Hermione shivered at the tone of his voice. “Oh, really?”

“Yes.”

Desire pooled low in her belly, and she pressed her thighs together.

He inhaled sharply. “Are you in bed?”

She wet her lips. “I am.”

“What are you wearing?” he purred.

Looking down at her ratty t-shirt – which she'd stolen from him – and sleep shorts, Hermione hesitated. Not the sexiest of outfits. “Not much,” she finally said.

“Are you touching yourself?” Arousal always turned his voice deeper and rougher, and it always had the same effect on her.

She pushed her shirt up, ran her fingers over her exposed breast. “Yes.”

His breathing had turned heavy, and she bit her lip. Was he touching himself too? She plucked at her pebbled nipple, pretending it was his fingers. His mouth. She moaned softly.

“Fuck,” he growled. “Are you touching your pussy?”

Her fingers left her breast, trailed over her stomach to the waistband of her shorts. Without even looking, she knew her knickers were soaked. It had been too bloody long.

There was a loud yowl on the other end of the line.

Severus let out a string of curses, and Hermione's hand fell to her side.

“Crooks,” she groaned.

While she loved her familiar very much, he had the worst timing. Almost every time they tried to make things a bit intimate, he would yowl like a menace until Severus put him on the phone. She had no doubt he was doing it on purpose She just wanted to get off with Severus' voice in her ear telling her what a good girl she was. Was that really too much to ask?

“Sorry, love,” Severus said with a sigh.

Hermione pulled her shirt down over her exposed breast. The moment had passed, and now she felt sad again. “It's all right.” her voice was laced with disappointment. “I'm not sure I'll make it until Christmas.”

Severus snorted. “You and me both.”

“Maybe we'll find some time around my birthday? If only for a day or two.”

“We'll make it happen, I promise.”

“What else is new back home?” Hermione rolled over to her stomach. She was going to need another cold shower after they hung up.

–

The next morning, as she was weaving a charm through her hair, her phone beeped with a new message from Severus. It was 5:30 in England. What was he doing awake so early? Hermione opened the message and smiled.

_Happy Anniversary, Hermione._

Much to her chagrin, she felt her eyes well up. She missed him so much.

She texted back a “Happy anniversary, love xx” and wiped at her eyes.

Had it really been four years already? She could barely remember what her life was like before Severus entered it. Emptier, that was for sure, and lonely. The type of loneliness where she didn't realise how lonely she was until she wasn't. Until she had him.

Gathering her tools, Hermione made sure the Portkey to the excavation site was still in her satchel before leaving the flat. It was another stifling hot day, and she kept to the shade as much as she could going down the stairs and crossing the small courtyard to meet Bill. He stood leaning against the wall, shaded from the morning sun. The jagged scars across his face were pale against his tan skin.

“Morning.”

He smiled. “Morning.” Pushing himself off the wall, he held out his hand. “May I have the Portkey, please?”

She frowned but produced the panda from her satchel. “Are we not going together?”

He took the panda. “I talked to the boss and convinced him to give you the day off, as well as two of my vacation days. I don't need them, anyway. That gives you the whole weekend to spend with Snape.”

Hermione blinked, mouth open in surprise. “Are you joking?”

“Not at all. You've been working very hard these past months, you deserve a break. I'm lucky to have Fleur and Victoire here with me, I can't imagine how much I would miss them if they were back in England.” He smiled. “Go. See you on Monday.”

Hermione threw herself around his neck, squeezing tightly. “Thank you,” she said, voice wobbly.

Bill chuckled and patted her back. “Don't mention it. Tell Snape I said hi.”

Shooting him a bright smile, Hermione dashed back to the flat. She fought with the laces on her work boots before mumbling a spell to unlace them. Kicking them off, she picked up her phone from where she'd left it on the table. She needed to call Severus.

As the dial tone started, she bent and pulled her bag from underneath the bed.

“Come on, pick up,” she mumbled.

The call went straight to voicemail, and she swore. Her coming home would be a surprise, then. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself down. After packing, she locked and warded the flat and went outside to the Apparition point. The courtyard she appeared in was much grander than the one she came from and a large fountain stood in the centre, its water shimmering in the sunlight. The Egyptian Ministry of Magic was similar to its British counterpart in name alone; the building itself was bright and airy, with cooling charms woven into the stone of the building. She made her way through a large arch and into the main part of the building, then towards the department of magical transportation.

The Portkey office was fairly busy, and Hermione scanned the departure board. The next Portkey to London wasn't scheduled to leave for almost two hours. Her stomach dropped. After buying her ticket, Hermione took a seat in the waiting area. She removed the translation amulet from around her neck and slipped it into her pocket. Despite her best efforts over the past months, her Egyptian Arabic was atrocious, and it was faster and kinder on everyone involved if she used the amulet.

Hermione pulled out a book from her bag to occupy her until it was time to depart. She wished she'd got hold of Severus before leaving. Her mobile wouldn't work with the magical interference in the building, so she had no way of contacting him. The wait went by faster than she thought – a good book would do that – and it wasn't long until she gathered around the Muggle car tyre with half a dozen other travellers.

“This is your last call for the 9.45 am Portkey to London, England. The Portkey will depart in 30 seconds.”

Hermione took a firmer hold of the tyre. Public Portkeys made her a bit nervous; she'd heard horror stories of people being jostled while on a long-flight Portkey and losing their grip, resulting in them ending up somewhere completely different to where they were going. When the tug at her navel came, she squeezed her eyes shut. The spinning and the tugging seemed to go on forever. She hated international Portkeys.

Then it stopped, and Hermione stumbled slightly. Through her Portkey-induced haze, she heard the announcement message playing, welcoming them to London. Hermione was first in line at wand control, and it wasn't long until she rode the lift to the atrium. It was busy with witches and wizards going about their day – the time difference meant they were only about to start work. It was a strange feeling for Hermione to be surrounded by English speakers after so many months abroad. The queue to the Floos was mercifully short – she wanted to get home now – and before long she tossed a handful of glittery powder into one and called out her address.

Nothing happened.

Hermione frowned. Why would Severus close the Floo?

“If you're not going, can you get out, please?” came the impatient voice of the thin wizard who was next in line.

Hermione stepped out. “Sorry.”

This was most peculiar, and Hermione pondered the reasons Severus could have for closing the Floo as she crossed the atrium towards the Apparition point.

She appeared in a small utility room. A pair of muddy wellies stood leaning against each other by the glass door, and two pet bowls – one filled with kibble and one with water – sat on the worktop over the washer.

“Severus?” Hermione called, stepping into the empty kitchen. A lone mug sat in the dish rack and a folded newspaper lay on the kitchen table.

She heard a low thud, then the sound of paws on wood floors. From the open doorway to the dining room came a large orange cat, meowing loudly to announce his presence.

“Crookshanks!” Hermione exclaimed, putting her bag on the floor and crouching. “I've missed you, love.”

Purring and butting his head against her leg, Crookshanks put his front paws on her knee and climbed with some difficulty into her lap. He was an old man now, and he wasn't as mobile as he was in his youth. He nuzzled her face, and she smiled.

“Where's Severus, Crooks? Is he at work?”

Crookshanks chirped, still purring happily and digging his claws into her thigh. Hermione kissed his furry little head and then put him on the floor. A quick Homenum Revelio confirmed her suspicions that she was alone. She supposed she would be off to Diagon Alley.

Though she had fallen in love with the architecture and history of Egypt, she was the first to admit that she didn't handle the heat very well. In comparison, London in August was downright chilly. Making sure she had her wand and her phone, Hermione Apparated to Diagon Alley and made her way to the passageway between it and Horizont Alley, where Severus' apothecary was located. He had started the business not too long after the war, and eight years later it was the most sought after apothecary in the UK. Most of the brewing was now done off-site, in a warehouse in wizarding London where ten potioneers brewed potions that were shipped to places like St Mungo's and Hogwarts.

The bell over the door announced her presence with a cheerful ringing, and there was an, “One moment, please!” spoken in a familiar Essex accent.

Lavender had her back to the door as she took inventory of the bottles placed on the wooden shelves behind the counter. It seemed a strange partnership, Lavender and Severus, but it worked. Hermione had ranted one night some months ago that it was disgusting how Lavender had difficulty finding work because of her scars. She had almost died from the wounds inflicted by Greyback, and the scarring left behind was extensive.

Severus had hired her the next week, and it had been a great decision.

Lavender turned around with a smile – clipboard and pencil still in her hands – but her smile faltered when she spotted Hermione. Her blue eyes went wide.

“Hermione! What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in Egypt?”

“I'm here to see Severus. Is he in?”

Lavender snorted. “Oh Merlin, this is too good.”

Hermione raised her eyebrows. Had Lavender lost her mind?

“Snape is not here. He's gone to Egypt to see you.”

Hermione's mouth gaped open. “He's done what? Why?”

“It's your anniversary, isn't it?” She put the clipboard on the counter. “I could tell when he came in he was feeling sad about not seeing you, so I convinced him he should surprise you. He left an hour ago.”

“But I've come to surprise him,” was all Hermione could say.

“And he'll get a surprise too,” Lavender said with a snort.

Hermione chuckled dryly. “This is a bit of a mess, isn't it?”

If Severus left for Egypt an hour ago, he should be realising she wasn't there any minute now. Maybe she should call him.

“I'm going to see if I can get a hold of Severus,” Hermione said.

Lavender nodded. “Am I allowed to tell Ron you're in town or are you and Snape going to spend the entire time in bed?”

Hermione chuckled. “I'll send you a Patronus.”

She made her way through Diagon Alley and the Leaky Cauldron. She'd not taken two steps out on the pavement when her phone rang.

Hermione answered it quickly. “You're in Egypt?”

On the other end of the line, Severus chuckled. “And you're in London. This is why I don't like surprises.”

“We should coordinate the next time.”

“We should. I'll take the next Portkey back to England.”

“I can come to you,” she offered.

Severus growled. “Witch, it is too bloody hot here. I'm coming home.”

Hermione's stomach flipped. She would see him soon. “Hurry back.”

“I will.”

Flipping her phone closed, Hermione grinned and turned back into the Leaky Cauldron to Apparate home.

–

She had lunch on the patio outside the dining room while she waited for Severus, the sun warm on her face. Oh, how she'd missed being able to sit outside and enjoy the sun instead of hiding from it. Crookshanks had yowled until she lifted him into her lap, and he was currently resting on her chest and purring loudly. Hermione buried her hand in his soft fur. She loved this house, this sanctuary they'd created for themselves. There had been many raised eyebrows when they purchased the detached four-bedroom house in a small village outside Nottingham – since they had no plans to ever have children – but it suited them just fine. Their combined books filled the second sitting room downstairs _and_ two of the bedrooms.

Hermione was changing into fresh clothes after a wonderfully warm bath when she heard the crack of Apparition from downstairs. She practically flew out of the room and came to a halt in the kitchen.

Severus stood in the utility room, hanging up his travel cloak. Her heart beat faster. When he saw her, his frown smoothed out.

“Hermione,” he breathed, and his mouth widened into the warm, dimpled smile that was only for her.

They moved forward at the same time, and Hermione flew into his arms. His arms wrapped tightly around her waist, and her body melted against his. _Finally_ , it seemed to say.

“I can't believe we travelled halfway around the world without letting each other know,” Hermione said, breathing in the scent of him.

“I am never surprising you again,” Severus scoffed against her neck.

“I don't like surprises much, anyway.” She pulled her head back from his chest. “And in my defence, I did try to call you to tell you I was coming, but you didn't pick up.”

The corner of his mouth twitched. “So this is my fault?”

“Entirely.”

Severus chuckled, then cupped her face and kissed her.

Hermione sighed. Gods, she'd missed him. Each caress of his tongue sent a tingle through her body. She pressed her body against his, hands gripping his waist.

“I want you,” she mumbled, fingers gliding over his belt buckle.

Severus pulled back, looked at her with intense black eyes. “I have half a mind to just bend you over the table.”

Fuck. She whimpered. “Later. Bed first.”

She couldn't tell how they ended up in their bedroom, nor when he vanished their clothes. All she knew was she felt dizzy with arousal, and Severus' lips on her pulse point weren't helping. She rolled her hips, trying to get him inside her before she combusted, but he stilled her movements with a firm hand on her thigh. Huffing in annoyance, she sneaked a hand between them to touch him. He pushed her hand away.

“It's been four months, witch,” he growled, lifting his head from her neck. “If you want this to last more than two minutes you'll keep your hands to yourself.”

“I want you,” she whined, drawing her legs around his hips.

He kissed her fiercely. “Patience.”

Hermione's head fell back with a moan when he kissed his way down her body and fastened his mouth between her legs. Oh, he was good at that. She gripped his hair, hips undulating against what his lips and tongue were doing. This wasn't going to take long. Her back arched when she came, thighs quivering around his head and her blood roaring in her ears.

When she could, she laughed, euphoria coursing through her body. “Wow.”

Severus placed several kisses on her trembling inner thigh before moving up her body. “I apologise in advance for what is sure to be the shortest fuck ever. I'll make it up to you.”

“I don't care; I want you now.”

Hermione pushed at his shoulders, and once he was on his back she threw a leg over his hips. They both groaned when she slid over his length. Looking down at him, Hermione bit her lip. Circe, how she loved him. Putting a steadying hand on his chest, she lifted her hips and slowly sank down until their hips were flush. There, she paused. Severus gripped her thighs.

“Fuck, I've missed you,” he said through clenched teeth, then moaned.

“And I you.”

Bracing herself, she started to move. She would never tire of this: the feel of him, the sounds he made. She'd almost forgotten how good he felt. She let herself get lost in the feel and the taste and the smell of him. His warm skin. The way he gripped her hips. The way he groaned when she clenched around him.

“You're so beautiful,” Severus whispered.

Hermione whimpered, then leant forward and kissed him. He groaned, hips snapping against hers. The change in position made her keen and clench her fingers in the sheet next to his head. It was almost too much, and she tore her mouth from his.

“I'm going to come again,” she panted, back arching.

“Fuck,” he hissed, his grip on her tightening.

Her climax crashed into her, igniting every nerve in her body and then she was soaring high with only Severus' grip holding her to the earth. His drawn-out groan was loud in her ears as he twitched inside her. She collapsed on his chest, desperately drawing in air into her aching lungs. Severus pressed a kiss to her sweaty forehead.

“That was lovely,” she said once she regained the ability to speak.

He snorted, tracing patterns on her back. “I can do better than lovely.”

“I know you can.” Hermione moved off him. “And once my legs start working properly you can remind me. If you feel up to it.”

“Oh no, what a chore,” he commented dryly.

Chuckling, Hermione rested her cheek on his chest. Silence filled the room, neither of them wanting to break it. It was enough to just be. His skin was warm against hers, the sharp contours of his body familiar against her soft curves.

“I didn't even ask you how long I've got you for,” he asked at length.

“Sunday.” She chuckled. “And I still can't believe you let Lavender talk you into surprising me. You hate surprises.”

“She made some excellent points at the time,” he defended himself. “I should have known it would backfire.”

“I think it ended up all right.”

Severus smiled – the dimpled smile that was only for her. She leant to kiss him, and it turned soft and lazy. As she shifted, Hermione felt him harden against her hip.

“Already?” she murmured against his lips.

He rolled them over, ground against her centre. “Are you complaining?”

She cupped his face. “Never.”

Severus' eyes softened. “Happy anniversary, love.”

Hermione smiled. “Happy anniversary, Severus. Now fuck me.”

Laughing, he complied.

–

By the time Sunday rolled around, Hermione had lost count of how many surfaces she'd been placed upon or bent over. She never did send that Patronus to Lavender. Curling up on the sofa with Severus by her side and Crooks in her lap was pure heaven, and she never wanted to leave.

She took her morning tea out on the patio while Severus showered. She wasn't at all ready to go back to Egypt. She loved her job, but being away from home – from Severus – was hard. The foliage moved slightly in the breeze, and Hermione let out a contented sigh. She heard Severus approach before his arms wrapped around her waist. She leant back against his body, one hand leaving her mug to cover his.

He kissed the side of her head. “Do you have to go back? Can't I keep you?”

“Christmas isn't that far away. And you could come down to visit before that.”

“I detest Egypt; it's too hot. There's no one else I'd spend time in – what I imagine purgatory feels like – with.”

“Because you love me.”

Grabbing her hips, he turned her to face him. “I do. But no more surprise visits, all right? We've had enough excitement in our lives.”

Laughing, she kissed him swiftly. “No more surprises. May the rest of our lives be dull.”

He cupped her face. “I wouldn't have it any other way.”

**Author's Note:**

> Like it? Loathe it? Love it? Let me know.
> 
> Come chat with me on [Tumblr!](https://morbidmuch.tumblr.com/) I'm friendly and sometimes funny.


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